This invention relates to a motorized vehicle for supporting and transporting paraplegics and other handicapped persons and, more particularly, to a motorized vehicle for supporting and transporting paraplegics and other handicapped persons that is equipped with a lift assist structure.
Vehicles have been designed for use by individuals physically handicapped in their legs, and particularly paraplegic individuals, that allow the individual user to be supported in a standing position. These vehicles support the occupant's body in a standing posture that allows the occupant to reach a work area with his or her hands. The challenge addressed by these previous vehicles was to provide a vehicle that supported the occupant in a stable, standing position while still maintaining the necessary degree of maneuverability to allow for movement around objects and through doors. One such previous vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,416. The vehicle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,416 is a motorized, occupant-operated vehicle that supports physically handicapped people in a stable, standing position. The vehicle so disclosed allows the occupant to access work areas in front of the vehicle. Another patent disclosing such a vehicle is U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,537. U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,537 discloses a structure for mounting on a vehicle that allows the vehicle to tilt forwardly, which allows the occupant access to objects and areas on or near the floor on which the vehicle is traveling.
While the vehicles disclosed in the above-mentioned patents do allow a handicapped individual to be supported in a standing position once within the vehicle, the vehicles of the type shown in the patents suffer from a number of disadvantages. The major disadvantage of the above-referenced vehicles is that they are difficult for the occupant to enter. For example, a vehicle of the type generally shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,416 requires the occupant to place his feet on a footplate and thereafter grasp an upper structure of the vehicle and pull himself up to a standing position. Once in the standing position, the occupant can secure a support belt in place to lock himself in position within the vehicle. Therefore, use of such a vehicle requires that the user have sufficient upper body strength to be able to pull himself up to a standing position. If a person does not have this amount of upper body strength, then he or she will require assistance to enter the vehicle.
Another disadvantage associated with the above-referenced vehicles is that they do not provide a structure to allow the occupant to be supported in a seated position. In other words, the occupant using the above-referenced vehicles will always be supported in a standing position. It is often desirable or necessary for the occupant to be supported in a seated position. Further, it is often desirable for the occupant to have the ability to select between a seated and a standing position. The vehicles of the type described above do not provide a structure to support an occupant in a seated position, or a structure which allows the height of a seat structure to be adjusted between a variety of heights to increase the comfort of the occupant and the use to which the vehicle is put.
Yet another disadvantage of the above-discussed vehicles is that the hip support, against which the occupant's hips are rested for support, is not fully adjustable. Depending on the size of the occupant and the task being performed by the occupant, it is often desirable to adjust the hip support to increase the comfort of the user.
Therefore, an occupant-operated motorized vehicle is needed which overcomes the drawbacks and deficiencies of the existing vehicles discussed above.